The 21st Annual Trumpet Award festivities, was held Wednesday, January 23, through Saturday, January 27, 2013. The weekend of events included a Race Relations Symposium, a forum on Entrepreneurship, Empowerment and Success, a High Tea with High Heels at the Hyatt, and the taping of the Trumpet Award ceremonies.

NNPA publishers were honored at the High Tea with High Heels at the Hyatt event. The Tea, which has become very popular over the years, is one of the signature event fundraisers for student scholarships given by the Trumpet Awards Foundation. The Tea honors professional and entrepreneurial women achievers from across the country and internationally. This year’s achievers included newspaper publishers, Cleretta Blackmon, publisher of the

Mobile Beacon in Mobile, Alabama; Connie Harper of the Cleveland Call & Post, in Cleveland, Ohio, and Ruthie Hopkins, of the Pasadena/SGV Journal, in Pasadena CA. They took to the runway and modeled to their cheering fans including past NNPA President, Danny Bakewell, from the Los Angeles Sentinel and Joe Hopkins from the Pasadena Journal.

Also honored at the Tea was nationally known Gospel singer, Dottie Peoples, and seven entrepreneurial sisters from the Bahamas. The women honored were in categories ranging from fashion boutique owner, restaurant owner, Dentist, Accountant, Attorney, Interior and Architectural Design and publishers.

The Trumpet Awards is the brain child of longtime Associate of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. and Turner Broadcasting Vice President, Xernona Clayton. Clayton was the first African American Woman to have a television talk show in the South, pre-dating Oprah. The Awards honor and highlight the contributions of African Americans throughout the world. The Trumpet Awards will air on Sunday, April 7, 2013 at 8 p.m. eastern on TV One. Check local listings.